Martha enjoys strong debut in Japan

That's just perfect for the U.S. charisma homemaker

By

MarikoAndo

TOKYO (CBS.MW) -- Japanese shoppers have welcomed the arrival of Martha Stewart, the charismatic homemaker, as her first store in the country has sold twice as much as it had hoped since first opening a month ago.

Martha Stewart, the name of the shop in Tokyo's fashionable Yurakucho district, is selling "over 200 percent of what we have expected," said Yuko Sato, a spokesperson from Seiyu, a supermarket operator jointly running the shop.

Sato declined to provide specific sales figures, but said the shop aims for sales of 16 billion yen ($131 million) in the year 2002.

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia
MSO, +0.00%
is moving aggressively to boost its presence outside the Unites States. The company earlier this year joined hands with Seiyu (8268), one of Japan's leading retailers, to sell Martha Stewart products in Japan.

Seiyu's first store taking part in the venture opened with a thousand Martha Stewart Everyday items in November. Now, the products are stocked at 226 Seiyu retail outlets.

"More Japanese consumers (have) started spending their money on houses and interiors," Sato said. "We are sure Martha Stewart business will capture more Japanese shoppers' hearts," he added

The brand new Martha shop has been selling bed, bath and kitchen-related products. The shop plans to add garden and baby-related items in 2002.

Chairman and Chief Executive Martha Stewart said in New York earlier in the week that product line extensions within the merchandising division and expansion of its business in Japan will "bear fruit" in 2002.

Shares of MSO gained 25 cents, or 1.4 percent, to $18.75 in New York on Wednesday. Seiyu's shares closed up 6 yen, or 2.5 percent, at 248 yen in Tokyo.

Japanese housewives

Martha Stewart, who has made housework into something more creative and fun, is quickly moving to attract people in Japan, where baking Christmas cookies and decorating dinner tables with candles have rarely been seen.

With Seiyu, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia also launched the first issue of the Japanese edition of "Martha Stewart Living" in the U.S. The magazine, which first went on December 1, had an initial distribution of 115,000 copies and will be published six times in 2002. MSO aims revenue of 500 million yen through Japan's publishing business.

Sharon Patrick, MSO's President and Chief Operating Officer, said "This magazine launch is extremely exciting for MSO, as it is our first foreign-language magazine and the last phase of our Omnimedia model rollout for Japan.

MSO's Omnimedia platform in Japan also includes the Martha Stewart Living television program on LaLa Television, the Japanese cable television network that targets the female audience, and MSO's offerings of Martha by Mail products on cable television through Shop Channel.

"Japan is the second international region after Canada, where the Martha Stewart brand will seamlessly link and leverage media and merchandising segments for broad distribution," said the company in a statement.

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